PNW Plant Identification and Ecology Walk — May 10, 2025
Saturday, May 10, 2025
10:00am - 5:00pm (at the latest)
Location:
Miller Peninsula State Park
(NOTE:You’ll need a Discover Pass to park or plan on paying $10 for the day)
Instructor:
Mark Darrach
Join botanist and geologist Mark Darrach for an inspiring day of exploring and learning about Olympic Peninsula native plants and ecology.
We will meet in the main parking lot of Miller Peninsula State Park where we’ll have a brief presentation/orientation which will set the stage for our day. From there we will amble down the trail that heads to the beach, identifying plants along the way and stopping for identification tips and techniques as we go.
For much of the hike we will be walking through a high-quality, intact rare vegetation type of old-growth Pacific Madrone/Douglas Fir forest. Mark will weave in discussion of the geology of the area as well, making for a rich, enjoyable and edifying day!
What to Bring:
a hand-lens (loupe) for identifying small plant parts
a copy of Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Pojar and MacKinnon
a way to take notes
a sack lunch, snacks and water
a rested mind for assimilating lots of information
Tuition:
$125
Ages:
13+ (minors must be accompanied by a registered adult)
Note: Our walk will be no more than 4 miles and will be slow going since we'll stop often to behold the plant life.
Here's feedback we received from Mark's last Plant Walk:
"This Cedar Root class was like meeting friends I didn't know I had. Spending time with a small group of people eager to learn about the forest around us and spend the day moving at the pace that fit the moment; I can't say enough positive things about the experience. We discussed a variety of topics in addition to plant identification, and learned much more about said plants than simply their names (including genealogy, some forest and geology, bird call identification). I'm eager to take another class. :)"
Saturday, May 10, 2025
10:00am - 5:00pm (at the latest)
Location:
Miller Peninsula State Park
(NOTE:You’ll need a Discover Pass to park or plan on paying $10 for the day)
Instructor:
Mark Darrach
Join botanist and geologist Mark Darrach for an inspiring day of exploring and learning about Olympic Peninsula native plants and ecology.
We will meet in the main parking lot of Miller Peninsula State Park where we’ll have a brief presentation/orientation which will set the stage for our day. From there we will amble down the trail that heads to the beach, identifying plants along the way and stopping for identification tips and techniques as we go.
For much of the hike we will be walking through a high-quality, intact rare vegetation type of old-growth Pacific Madrone/Douglas Fir forest. Mark will weave in discussion of the geology of the area as well, making for a rich, enjoyable and edifying day!
What to Bring:
a hand-lens (loupe) for identifying small plant parts
a copy of Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Pojar and MacKinnon
a way to take notes
a sack lunch, snacks and water
a rested mind for assimilating lots of information
Tuition:
$125
Ages:
13+ (minors must be accompanied by a registered adult)
Note: Our walk will be no more than 4 miles and will be slow going since we'll stop often to behold the plant life.
Here's feedback we received from Mark's last Plant Walk:
"This Cedar Root class was like meeting friends I didn't know I had. Spending time with a small group of people eager to learn about the forest around us and spend the day moving at the pace that fit the moment; I can't say enough positive things about the experience. We discussed a variety of topics in addition to plant identification, and learned much more about said plants than simply their names (including genealogy, some forest and geology, bird call identification). I'm eager to take another class. :)"
Saturday, May 10, 2025
10:00am - 5:00pm (at the latest)
Location:
Miller Peninsula State Park
(NOTE:You’ll need a Discover Pass to park or plan on paying $10 for the day)
Instructor:
Mark Darrach
Join botanist and geologist Mark Darrach for an inspiring day of exploring and learning about Olympic Peninsula native plants and ecology.
We will meet in the main parking lot of Miller Peninsula State Park where we’ll have a brief presentation/orientation which will set the stage for our day. From there we will amble down the trail that heads to the beach, identifying plants along the way and stopping for identification tips and techniques as we go.
For much of the hike we will be walking through a high-quality, intact rare vegetation type of old-growth Pacific Madrone/Douglas Fir forest. Mark will weave in discussion of the geology of the area as well, making for a rich, enjoyable and edifying day!
What to Bring:
a hand-lens (loupe) for identifying small plant parts
a copy of Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Pojar and MacKinnon
a way to take notes
a sack lunch, snacks and water
a rested mind for assimilating lots of information
Tuition:
$125
Ages:
13+ (minors must be accompanied by a registered adult)
Note: Our walk will be no more than 4 miles and will be slow going since we'll stop often to behold the plant life.
Here's feedback we received from Mark's last Plant Walk:
"This Cedar Root class was like meeting friends I didn't know I had. Spending time with a small group of people eager to learn about the forest around us and spend the day moving at the pace that fit the moment; I can't say enough positive things about the experience. We discussed a variety of topics in addition to plant identification, and learned much more about said plants than simply their names (including genealogy, some forest and geology, bird call identification). I'm eager to take another class. :)"
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Mark Darrach
Mark is a professional conservation botanist and plant taxonomist affiliated with the Burke Museum at the University of Washington. He has worked on plant conservation projects and plant taxonomic research for 30+ years in various settings throughout the western U.S. and Mexico. Mark’s primary research interests lie within the parsley family - Apiaceae, and he is actively describing newly discovered species, particularly in the genus Lomatium. Ongoing molecular genetic research, of which he is a co-investigator, has led to the discovery of many new taxa in this highly speciose group. Mark enjoys teaching and "lighting the flame" of interest in plants in others. He has taught as an instructor in several university settings and as a long-time instructor for the North Cascades Institute as well.